UKTV’s London2Paris cycle team raises over £40k for charity

VIDEO: UKTV's London2Paris Charity Bike Ride

It was a gruelling three days in the saddle but the determined cyclists braved the wind, rain and mud to smash through their fundraising target, raising over £40,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Setting off on an overcast morning from the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, the team covered an eye-watering 280 miles on the bike, before reaching their final destination ? the Eiffel Tower. The cyclists endured challenging hills, almost 30 punctures, four broken bikes and countless saddle adjustments, battling through each and every stage with true grit and determination.

Watch the video above to find out what it was all about.

Resident L2P blogger and cyclist, Emily Jones, says she would do it all again...

London to Paris is one of the best and physically challenging things I have ever done! The team spirit and support was incredible and this was what powered me all the way to the Eiffel Tower. I will always have great memories of those three days.

And London2Paris organiser Simon Brown who, with great calm and his usual witty sense of humour, kept cyclists and drivers on track throughout the challenge said

Despite the dreadful weather conditions and pretty bleak moments (forget Desvres) we dragged ourselves up and ploughed on. It was a whirlwind, quite literally at times, but an absolutely brilliant experience.

All the details of the challenge and photos can be found on the L2P 2013 blog.

A huge congratulations to all of the cyclists and support drivers on their incredible achievement and a massive thank you to everyone who generously donated.

So what's next? In 2014, keen (and possibly crazy) UKTV cyclists will take on a brand new challenge - London to Amsterdam. Watch this space for more information.